Ixia Software Release Notes
IxOS 8.20 GA
Build Number: 8.20.1300.24 (August, 2017)
IxOS 8.20 GA is an "General Availability" release.
Please see the specific IxOS sections below for application compatibility requirements, known issues and the Product Compatibility Matrix for IxOS hardware support.
Application Compatibility
The following application releases support IxOS 8.20 GA:
| Application |
IxOS 8.20 GA |
| BPS |
8.20 GA |
| FLIX OS |
2017.1.0.1 (XGS2-HS & XGS12-HS)
2017.1.75.6 (XGS2-HSL & XGS12-HSL) |
| HLTAPI |
8.20 GA |
| IxANVL |
9.10 GA |
| IxChariot |
Not Supported |
| IxLoad |
8.20 GA |
| IxNetwork |
8.20 GA |
| IxVM |
8.20 GA |
| Licensing |
4.50 EA |
| Test Conductor |
3.60 GA |
In addition, current interoperability and compatibility coverage for IxOS
8.20 GA can also be retrieved using the on-line compatibility tool:
http://www.ixiacom.com/support-overview/product-support/product-compatibility-matrix
Ixia Licensing
Any chassis which runs IxServer must have an IxOS license installed on it.
IxOS 8.20 GA ships with Ixia Licensing 4.50 EA.
IxLicensing 4.50 EA upgrades IxLicensing 4.40 GA Patch1 and earlier versions. If this is upgraded on release 3.xx,
Ixia Licensing Utility (ILU) and License Server Plus (LS+) will replace Ixia Registration Utility (IRU)
and License Server (LS).
Some of the key benefits of this new licensing system are:
- Simplified activation procedure
- Improves offline activation using Request files.
- Enhanced Host ID calculation to increase uniqueness of Host ID.
- Allows remote activation of licenses
- Allows configuration of Proxy settings
For more information about the new IxLicensing system, please refer to the
"Ixia Licensing Management User Guide" provided with the Ixia software, or downloadable
from the Ixia web site.
Installing a License
Ixia Licensing 4.50 EA upgrades Ixia Licensing 4.40 GA Patch1 and prior versions on the
machines. If the setup is upgraded from versions prior to 4.30 to 4.50,
the setup cannot be reverted to the previous version and will need to stay at 4.50 EA after the upgrade.
This upgrade can be performed in below 2 ways:
- Ixia Registration Utility (IRU) to Ixia Licensing Utility (ILU)
- Previous version of Ixia Licensing Utility (ILU) to the latest version of Ixia Licensing Utility (ILU)
In case of IRU to ILU upgrade, ILU will override IRU and its registration numbers will be migrated as
activation codes in ILU.
During installation the system checks the connectivity with Ixia Licensing web servers.
Based on the connectivity, you can perform the upgrade in the following ways:
- Online Migration
- Offline Migration
Prerequisite Installation Notes
Ixia Licensing 4.50 EA installs .Net 4.0 on Chassis and .Net 4.5.1 on Clients and VM Chassis.
NOTE: Ixia Licensing 4.50 EA installs .Net 4.5.1 on client machines. If an older
release of an Ixia product containing .Net 4.0 hotfix is installed on top
of this release, .Net 4.0 hotfix installation may fail. The workaround is
to uninstall .Net 4.5.1 and then reinstall the older release of Ixia
product and then modify this release of Ixia Licensing.
Additional Documentation for Licensing
Please refer to our website at http://support.ixiacom.com/support-services/product-support/user-guides
You will be required to provide a login and password to enter this section of
the web site. If you do not have the username and password, please forward your
request to support@ixiacom.com.
Installation on XGS2-HS and XGS12-HS chassis
Starting from IxOS 8.13 GA, the XGS2-HS, XGS12-HS chassis can optionally be converted
to run Native IxOS, for improved stability and performance.
The conversion removes the Microsoft Windows OS, and replaces it with IxOS running natively on the chassis (over Linux OS).
Once complete the chassis are effectively converted to XGS2-HSL and XGS12-HSL.
For more information, including the conversion process procedure, please download and
read the Converting_XGS_and_PSOne_to_Native_IxOS.pdf document available on the IxOS Downloads And Update
(https://support.ixiacom.com/support-overview/product-support/downloads-updates/versions/21)
Installation on PerfectStorm ONE appliance
In order to run IxLoad 8.20 GA, the PerfectStorm ONE appliance must be converted to run Native IxOS.
The new Native IxOS provides for improved stability and performance. The conversion removes the Microsoft Windows OS,
and replaces it with IxOS running natively on the appliance (over Linux OS). For more information, including the conversion process procedure,
please download and read the Converting_XGS_and_PSOne_to_Native_IxOS.pdf document available on the IxOS Downloads And Update
(https://support.ixiacom.com/support-overview/product-support/downloads-updates/versions/21)
Windows Chassis Installation Requirements
When installing IxOS 8.20 GA on a chassis, a minimum of 512MB of installed
RAM and a minimum 2GB of free disk space on Drive C: is required.
In addition, be sure that at least 400MB of temporary space is available.
If your chassis does not meet these requirements, please contact Customer Support
at support@ixiacom.com or 1-877-FOR-IXIA about appropriate upgrades.
On heavily loaded chassis configurations, 1GB of RAM is recommended.
NOTE: Non-English versions of the Windows operating system are not supported.
NOTE: When installing from CD, some virus scanning configurations present
a malicious code alert during execution of the Windows autorun feature. If
this occurs, right-click the CD-ROM drive icon in Explorer and 'Explore'
the CD. At the root of the CD, double-click on the index.htm file.
NOTE: "Untrusted publisher" dialog box appears when installing on Windows 7.
Microsoft has issued a hotfix to resolve this issue. It is included in the IxOS installer
and requires a reboot early in the installation process, if not already installed.
Please refer to the following Microsoft knowledgebase item for more information:
2921916
Installation Features
The IxOS installation program offers the user a selection of five installation
options: Client, Server, Demo Server, Tcl Server, and Hardware Manager. The
Server option is normally chosen for installation on Ixia chassis. The Demo
Server option should NOT be chosen for chassis installations: it is used for
client installations.
Server Configuration Options
There are three options offered for configuring IxOS server operations: Service,
Startup, and Manual (None).
1. The Service option creates a Windows service for IxServer which can be
managed via the Windows Service Control Manager. Desktop shortcuts are not
created when using this option. However, Start Menu shortcuts are still
available. The usual IxServer user interface is not available. As a result,
configuration of IxServer (or Tcl Server) requires the user to stop the
services and invoke the server via the Start Menu shortcuts. Once the
configuration is complete, the servers can be closed via the user interface,
and the service restarted.
NOTE: Presently, Telnet connectivity is unavailable when Tcl Server is
configured to run as a service.
2. The Startup option starts IxServer when any user logs on to the chassis.
Start Menu shortcuts are also created.
3. The Manual(None) option simply creates Desktop and Start Menu shortcuts.
IxServer and/or Tcl Server are not automatically started when the user logs
in to the machine or the machine is rebooted.
NOTE: Regardless of the service option selection, Demo Server is always configured
to operate manually.
Tcl Version Option
IxOS is now shipping with Active State Tcl 8.5. When Client is selected for
installation, the user is offered to install Tcl 8.5. If you select Tcl 8.5,
be sure that your Tcl-based applications will run under this version.
NOTE: When using IxOS 8.20 GA, the Tix 8.5 Tcl extension is delivered
with the Tcl 8.5 installation.
NOTE: If the Solaris TCL console doesn't start because it's missing libiconv or libgcc,
follow these steps:
1. extract the archives on the Solaris machine
2. run the commands:
pkgadd -d libgcc-3.3-sol10-sparc-local
pkgadd -d libiconv-1.14-sol10-sparc-local
pkgadd -d libintl-3.4.0-sol10-sparc-local
Operating System Support
Client PC
Windows:
- Windows XP Professional 32-bit SP3
- Windows 2008 Server 64-bit
- Windows 7 Enterprise 32-bit
- Windows 7 Enterprise 64-bit
- Windows 7 Professional 32-bit
- Windows 7 Professional 64-bit
- Windows 7 Ultimate 32-bit
- Windows 2012 Server Standard R2 64-bit
- Windows 8.1 Enterprise 32-bit and 64-bit
- Windows 10 Pro
The support for the following Operating System has been dropped starting with IxOS 8.20 GA;
- Windows Vista Enterprise SP2 32-bit and 64-bit - DROPPED
UNIX:
- Fedora Core 14
- RedHat Enterprise 5.0
Other versions of UNIX platforms may operate properly, but are not officially supported.
VMWare:
- Server 1.0.2
- Server 2.0
Chassis
- Windows XP Professional 32-bit SP3
- Windows 7 Ultimate 32-bit
- CentOS Linux 7 (Core)
NOTE: The following foreign languages are supported on the chassis running the
above Windows versions:
- Chinese (traditional and simplified)
- French
- German
- Hebrew
- Italian
- Japanese
- Spanish
- Swedish
UNIX Installation Notes
In order to run the GUI installer, your client machine must be configured with
an operational X-windows server.
Be sure to set your DISPLAY environment variable to the host name or IP address
of the client machine on which you want the installer GUI to display. Below are
examples for setting the DISPLAY environment variable using various shells. If
you need environment configuration assistance beyond this, please consult your
System Administrator.
// enable connections to X Server
xhost + or xhost [remote hostname]
// set DISPLAY environment variable
// determine shell
echo $SHELL
// depending on what shell you use - Bourne shell (bsh or sh),
// Bash (bash- Bourne shell again), C shell (csh) or Korn shell (ksh);
// set DISPLAY environment variable:
// bash:
export DISPLAY=hostname:0
// bsh or ksh:
DISPLAY=hostname:0
export DISPLAY
// csh:
setenv DISPLAY hostname:0
If you are updating an existing installation, be sure to run the installer as the
same user who initially installed the software.
Always run the uninstaller prior to removing any files manually.
If installing as the root user, using an install location is a network-mounted
file system, ensure the root user has write permission to the file system.
To install the Tcl Client on Linux, perform the following steps: (Note:
the binary file name 'IxOS8.20.XXX.XXXLinux.bin' is used in the example
below. In most cases, the file name will be different.)
3.1 Copy the 'IxOS8.20.XXX.XXXLinux.bin' file to the system.
3.2 Before starting the installation, make sure the IxOS binary is executable.
If not, type "chmod +x 'filename'" (where 'filename' is the binary file name).
Check the permissions of the target directory to make sure full permission
is granted.
3.3 Execute the IxOS installer file (use the gui option if installing via console
or remote shell).
Example: ./IxOS8.20.XXX.XXXLinux.bin
3.4 When the installer prompts, select Tcl version 8.5.
3.5 Follow the installation prompts to complete the installation.
If the installation fails, check that there is enough disk space on the system
by using the "df -ak" command.
There must enough space in the /tmp folder (to extract the files), and in the
target folder (where files are to be installed). If the /tmp dir does not have
enough space, specify the dir by setting IATEMPDIR environment with path to the
folder where you have enough free space.
The following example show the use of the options:
export IATEMPDIR=/tempdir
./IxOS8.20.XXX.XXXLinux.bin
To install IxOS using tgz package, perform the following steps:
3.1 Create the destination folder.
3.2 Extract and copy all folders and files from the tgz package into the destination folder.
3.3 After installation, set the following variables:(Note: Examples below match
the sample installation; they must be altered to match user installation.)
IXIA_HOME=/export/home/ixos8.20
IXIA_VERSION=8.20.XXX.XXX
TCLLIBPATH=/export/home/ixos8.20/lib
3.4 Optionally, specify the following environment variables to specify the
location of the log, sample, and results files for IxOS:
IXIA_LOGS_DIR=$IXIA_HOME/logs
IXIA_RESULTS_DIR=$IXIA_HOME/results
IXIA_SAMPLES=$IXIA_HOME/samples
IXIA_TCL_DIR=$IXIA_HOME/lib
3.5 If the Tcl option was installed with an IxOS installation, add Ixia's bin
and lib directory to the PATH and LD_LIBRARY_PATH variable in order to use it.
For example:
IxiaLibPath=$IXIA_HOME/lib
IxiaBinPath=$IXIA_HOME/bin
PATH=$IxiaBinPath:$PATH
LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$IxiaLibPath:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH
Downgrading to a previous version of IxOS
When downgrading to a release of IxOS prior to 5.10 SP2 on a chassis, all Ixia
applications must be un-installed from the chassis and re-installed after the
IxOS downgrade is completed. Please perform the following steps using the
Add/Remove Programs application.
1. Un-install current IxOS installation.
2. Un-install all Ixia applications.
3. Un-install StatEngine and all PCPU packages
4. Install IxOS
5. Install previously un-installed application. Note, these application
installations install StatEngine if required. There is no need to
install this separately.
Note, any card, port, stream, etc., files generated by IxOS are forward
compatible but not backward compatible.
Tcl Server was first supplied free of charge starting with IxOS 3.80 GA.
Installation of this feature is optional; it should only be installed if
required for specific application.
Installation and operation of the Tcl Server is required for IxChariot when
running hardware performance pairs, for IxANVL when running VNIC (Virtual
Network Interface Card) and for IxAuthenticate. The Tcl Server can be installed
on either the Ixia chassis or a separate Windows workstation.
The following limitations exist with respect to Wish and Tcl shell support:
Tcl shell does not run on any version of Windows with Ixia software. Under
Linux or Solaris, the Tcl shell runs on any version of Tcl greater than or
equal to 8.3.
| Contact List Change: 4150211; Date: 2013/09/24 |
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USA, Canada and Latin America Customer Support
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Europe, Middle East, and Africa Customer Support
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India Customer Support
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China Customer Support
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| Hours: |
09:00 - 18:00 local time (Beijing time), Monday through Friday |
| Email: |
support-china@ixiacom.com |
| Phone: |
400-898-0598 (Greater China region) |
| Phone: |
+86-10-5732-3932 (Hong Kong customers) |
| Fax: |
+86-10-8454-9198 |
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Asia Pacific Customer Support
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Japan Customer Support
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| Hours: |
09:00 to 17:30 local time (Japan), Business days |
| Email: |
support-japan@ixiacom.com |
| Phone: |
+81-3-5326-1980 |
| Fax: |
+81-3-3348-7733 |
|
Please refer to our website at http://support.ixiacom.com/support-services/product-support/user-guides.
You will be required to provide a login and password to enter this section of
the web site. If you do not have the username and password, please forward your
request to support@ixiacom.com.
Laser Warnings
The 10G load modules may use a Class III laser. Precautions should be
taken to prevent personal injury. The spring-loaded safety cover should always be
securely in place over the port when there is no cable installed. Avoid exposure
and never look directly into an open port aperture.
Installing / Uninstalling Load Modules
Modules in the XGS12-SD, XGS12-HS, XGS12-HSL, XGS2-SD, XGS2-HS, XGS2-HSL, XG12, XM12, and XM2 can be installed/uninstalled
with the chassis operational.
For all chassis types, use caution when inserting or removing multi-slot modules
to evenly insert and remove. Load modules are tightly spaced; avoid contacting
the adjoining modules while inserting and removing.
Safety Notice Regarding Ixia Load Modules
WARNING: In order to prevent accidental injury to personnel, do not leave transceiver
(SFP/SFP+/QSFP/QSFP28/CXP/CFP4) cages uncovered on Ixia load modules. When transceivers
are not installed, port end caps (Part No. 503-006) must be used. The metal edge of
the transceiver cage is SHARP. To avoid injury, ALWAYS keep the transceiver cage covered.
Contact Ixia Technical Support to obtain end caps. Please reference Ixia Product
safety notice Part No. 913-0715 Rev A, June 2009. For additional information
refer to Chapter three of the IXOS Getting Started Guide under the section,
Notes, Cautions and Warnings.
Use Ejector Tabs Properly
Ejector tabs on load modules are to be used only to eject a load module from
the chassis backplane connector. They are not designed to support the weight
of the load module. Ejector tabs can bend or break if used improperly as handles
to push, pull, or carry a load module.
Novus10/1GE16DP
| Bug Number |
Notes |
| 1447164 |
If 100Base-T1 / BroadR-Reach Automotive Ethernet Transceivers part number 948-0033 are inserted into the SFP cage, FAIL error messages stating "I2C read error" may appear in the IxServer log. Note that the 948-0033 transceivers are only supported on Novus load modules with IxOS 8.30-EA-Patch1 or later.
|
XGS2-HSL and XGS12-HSL Chassis
| Bug Number |
Notes |
| 1454033 |
When installing or running IxOS 8.20GA or 8.20EA on a chassis that already has a higher release build installed for example 8.40EA will result in 10speed upgrade failure.
IxServer boots up fine and it does not affect any functionality. It will only show chassis status as "NOT READY(ixia-10speed-upgrade not running)"
|
ATM-POS XMVDC16
| Bug Number |
Notes |
| 1449222 |
FAIL messages in IxServer on inserting both ATM-POS and XMVDC16 load modules in XM2/XG12 chassis is not seen anymore.
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IxOs Infrastructure
| Bug Number |
Notes |
| 1437573 |
There was an issue for which chassis fan speed was going to maximum when XAir load module was present in the chassis. This issue was resolved and now Fan speed is set correctly.
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Miscellaneous
| Bug Number |
Notes |
| 1448422 |
Generic capture error codes are now exposed in TCL
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NOVUS10/1GE16DP
| Bug Number |
Notes |
| 1432581 |
Capture or UDS related issues seen when mismatching speeds are configured on connected ports has been addressed
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| 1448294 |
Statistics reading has been improved for this Load Module to improve IxServer response time.
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NOVUS100GE8Q28+FAN+25G
| Bug Number |
Notes |
| 1436125 |
An issue where Tx Frame Statistics was seen to be 0 while running traffic is fixed.
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| 1440735 |
There was an issue where Novus cards were not honoring PFC frames correctly for a specific configuration. This issue has been fixed.
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| 1447746 |
QSFP28 LR transceivers were being recognized as SR. This issue is fixed.
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| 1447751 |
An issue where Port Statistics were not correct when using Quick Flow Groups is now resolved.
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XM100GE4CFP4+ENH
| Bug Number |
Notes |
| 1448022 |
Port links are stable when repeatedly enabling/disabling RS-FEC on DUT.
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XM100GE4QSFP28+ENH
| Bug Number |
Notes |
| 1448168 |
Port link connected to DUT with optical cables remains stable and link flap is not observed after a DUT reboot or a Multis card hotswap operation.
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